A strange environment can sometimes trigger unexpected physiological phenomena. It's been a month since I enrolled here. Although I kept up appearances, it seems I had been accumulating stress without my knowledge.
"Ugh... It's been a while."
I practically fell out of bed and rushed to the toilet. The fact that this came on so suddenly after two years of nothing made it even worse.
"Hah, hah... Ugh."
I sat on the floor, trying to empty the contents of my stomach. After retching for about five minutes, my hazy thoughts gradually began to clear.
After flushing the toilet, I stood in front of the sink, took off my pajamas, and looked at my reflection with my upper body bare.
"...Okay, I'm fine."
I quickly checked my body, making sure there were no scratches or marks. It was an obviously meaningless act, but the dream I just had was too vivid.
Then, I put my clothes back on and returned to bed. I checked the time on my phone beside me, and the screen showed a little past six. It was one of those times when you can't decide whether to go back to sleep.
────Dreams are a phenomenon that occurs when the brain processes past and recent memories. Although they are often considered unscientific, they can be explained as a physical phenomenon related to the work of the temporal lobe and neurons.
However, there is one thing that can't be explained: the circumstances under which "I" was formed. It's too far from the laws of the world to simply be a "past life" theory.
"Hey, I'm going to start working as a clinical intern next year. I want to become a pediatrician."
"Why? Because I like kids? No, that's not what I mean. I couldn't have studied for six years for such a difficult subject with a reason like that. The scholarship conditions are tough, too."
"Surprised? And one more surprise! I'm going to get married when I start working. I've been with my current girlfriend for 10 years, you know?"
"I'm glad you're doing well. I'll take you to a delicious restaurant with my first paycheck, so look forward to it!"
It's nostalgic. Back then, I complained, but I was happy regardless. I had hopes for the future and never doubted that I was on my way to a happy life.
I... I'm a coward who averted his eyes from the fact that I stole someone else's happiness.
────And that hasn't changed.
It's 7:55 AM. I walked onto the deck of the ship. Even Arisu-chan didn't invite me to breakfast. She's probably having a similar discussion about the exam right now.
At a table in the cafe, which was the meeting place, one student was already seated.
"Oh. You're early, Kiyotaka-kun."
I slapped the sturdy back of the student and sat down next to him. I thought I had arrived about five minutes before the meeting time, but it seemed that Kiyotaka-kun had arrived even earlier.
"Tsugumi. I've been waiting for an hour."
Ayanokoji-kun replied as usual, in a monotonous tone... Wait, what?
"Seriously?"
"Just kidding."
Seeing my surprised reaction, Kiyotaka-kun snorted in satisfaction. What's up with this guy? Don't tell jokes with a straight face.
"Are you holding a grudge because you were alone after the exam?"
I teased him in return, as if to get back at him, and Ayanokoji-kun briefly made a bitter face and sighed.
"...So you were aware of it."
"I'm sorry. Arisu-chan wouldn't let me go, you see."
I scratched my head with a deliberately nonchalant look. Heh heh heh... This comeback must be harsh for a virgin, right? Well, I'm a virgin, too, though.
"Seems tough. Dealing with that woman."
Kiyotaka-kun looked at me with a look of exasperation, not envy. Oh, right. He knew Arisu-chan's true nature.
"Well, yeah. She's a bit thorny, but that's one of her charms."
If she heard me say this, she'd kill me, Kiyotaka-kun.
We passed the time with such idle chatter. I don't know if it's because I showed him my angry side once, or because I saw his dere side, but our conversations have become more enjoyable than before.
"I see. Heh... There are plenty of thorny women, aren't there? Sakayanagi, Ibuki, and Horikita. Though the last one has mellowed out quite a bit."
"You can stab me with a compass needle again, you know?"
With such a dangerous statement, our very own D-Class tsundere girl, Suzune-chan, appeared. Her tsundere attitude was as sharp as ever today.
"He admitted it..."
I'm sure something happened between them in the past four months. I don't want to know, so I'll just gracefully ignore it.
"Oh, right. I'm returning the book I borrowed the other day. It helped a lot during the four days I was bored."
Kiyotaka-kun pulled a book out of his pocket as if he had just remembered it. Even with the small, sad words he uttered, Suzune-chan remained unfazed.
"I see. I'm glad. Now, shall we talk about yesterday's meeting?"
"Ah, excuse me. Can I get three coffees, please?"
For now, I'll order drinks for everyone. Breakfast can wait until we're done with this.
"Thanks, Tsugumi. So, were the school's call and the details the same?"
"Yes. It was exactly what you said. 12 groups, four possible outcomes. And a school email arriving at 8 AM to announce the VIPs. The only difference was the teacher who explained it."
"I don't think it's much different from what we talked about yesterday. Everyone probably received the same explanation."
I've also heard from the other three chats that all 12 groups received the same explanation. It doesn't seem like there will be a difference in the exam here.
When I replied, Kiyotaka-kun took out his phone and placed it on the table. The screen showed a picture I had posted in the chat yesterday. I had asked everyone to take a picture of their group lists after hearing from the first students to be explained that the groups were mixed across all classes.
"It helped that you acted quickly. Knowing the students in each group is a big advantage."
"Right. Almost no one takes notes, anyway."
I received words of praise from both of them. I'm happy.
"Even so, this 'Tatsu Group' really stands out. The imbalance is too perfect to be a coincidence."
Ayanokoji-kun said this while displaying the list of members in the 'Tatsu Group,' to which Suzune-chan and I belonged.
Class A: Kohei Katsuragi, Arisu Sakayanagi, Shinji Matoba, Koharu Yano
Class B: Sayo Ando, Ryuji Kanzaki, Hitomi Tsunobe
Class C: Takumi Oda, Hidetoshi Suzuki, Masashi Sonoda, Ryuuen Kakeru
Class D: Kikyo Kushida, Tsugumi Saito, Yosuke Hirata, Suzune Horikita
"What a dream team. I'd even bet on what the outcome will be."
"That's a good idea. I'll be the bookmaker."
I really want to be on the betting side, but as a participant, the bet wouldn't be fair... or rather, I'd have a free pass to cheat. I could just say, "I'll give you points, so betray them on purpose."
"...Don't joke around, you two. This group was intentionally put together, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. Calling it a dream team doesn't seem to be a mistake."
I agreed with Suzune-chan's statement and checked the members again.
Class D is a given. We have Kushida-san and Yosuke-kun, who are well-acquainted with other classes. We also have Horikita-san, who still has some issues with cooperation but is making remarkable progress. If I were asked to pick 10 people from each class to form the strongest class, I would definitely choose these three. Well, Ayanokoji-kun, of course, would be first.
"In Class C, there's Ryuuen-kun, in Class B, Kanzaki-kun, and in Class A... Katsuragi-kun and Arisu-chan."
Looking at it this way, there are only up to two students who are leaders in each class. But in Class D, all four of us are excellent, even if there are differences in our abilities.
In my overall assessment, it's Yosuke-kun ≥ Suzune-chan > Kushida-san.
"In that case, it's strange that Ichinose isn't here."
"Maybe it's a way to keep Kiyotaka-kun in check? Suzune-chan and I were both called to the staff room at the beginning of May and have both produced results, so it wouldn't be surprising if they were suspicious."
"That's possible... Given that, we should assume there's some kind of rule for the 12 groups. Ayanokoji-kun and Karuizawa-san had similar grades. Maybe they're grouped by score... No, that's not it. While Saito-kun and I are top students, Hirata-kun and Kushida-san's scores are only average."
The conversation continued with Kiyotaka-kun, me, and Suzune-chan. Suzune-chan looks a little happy while talking, which is cute.
"Don't get so smug... Ouch."
Kiyotaka-kun, who had said something unnecessary, was kicked in the shin under the table. That's why even with a good face, he's not popular.
"I'll kick you."
"That's something you say before you kick."
"You're so lenient..."
Well, as long as they're having fun, I guess it's fine.
"Jeez... Well, in any case, it's going to be a tough job to lead this group and outwit them. I'm not worried since Tsugumi is here, but your compatibility with Ryuuen is probably the worst it could be. And with Ichinose here, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to pay attention to your side."
"I know... It's almost 8 o'clock. I wonder if the email will really come."
Suzune-chan listened obediently to Kiyotaka-kun's advice. It's partly because she knows his abilities, but it's also something that would have been unthinkable at the beginning of the school year.
And at 8 o'clock, with not a second of a difference, all three of our phones rang.
"Oh, it looks like it's here."
I showed the message to the other two.
"As a result of a strict adjustment, you were not selected as the VIP. Please act as a member of the group and participate in the exam. The exam will begin today at 1 PM and will last for three days. Those in the Dragon Group, please gather in the Dragon Room on the 2nd floor."
"It seems none of us were selected as the VIP. Should we be happy or sad?"
"Right. If we were the VIP, all options would have been permitted depending on our actions."
Looking at their screens, the content was almost the same.
"Okay. First, to establish a strategy, we need to know who the VIPs in our class are. Hmm, 'As a result of a strict adjustment.' This means 'Saito-kun,' oops..."
Just as we were about to move the discussion to the next stage, a shadow appeared on the deserted terrace.
"────Hey, gigolo. Are you having breakfast with two dead weights again today?"
"Oh, Ryuuen-kun. I have a wonderful name, Tsugumi Saito, you know?"
Appearing as if he had been timing it, it was Ryuuen-kun, with whom I had a deep-rooted grudge, and...
"Hey, Ibuki-san. I'm glad you're doing well."
"..."
It was Ibuki-san, who had her usual strong-willed expression but now exuded a gloomy atmosphere.
"The email arrived, I'm sure. What was the result? Did you become the VIP?"
"If you want to know, you have to offer up your information, too. Should we make another deal?"
"As you wish."
Ryuuen-kun sat down in the one empty chair. He was pretty confident, even after I beat him up so badly last time.
"So, what are you here for, Ryuuen-kun? Unfortunately, I don't want to see your face."
"Kukuku... I've become quite disliked, haven't I? Well, rest assured, I don't have business with you."
Ryuuen-kun laughed gleefully and looked at Suzune-chan, who was sitting across from him.
"I have business with you, Suzune."
"...What is it?"
Perhaps because of the exam, Suzune-chan's attitude was weaker than usual. It was amazing how he could talk to her so casually after what he did. I might need to learn from his brazenness.
"I thought I'd break the brainwashing placed on you by that gigolo. You called me a scumbag, but I wonder who the real scumbag is?"
"If you have something to say, say it clearly."
Suzune-chan's tone became stronger at Ryuuen-kun's words. I was in a difficult position, wondering how to intervene, but if I made a clumsy move, it would be counterproductive, so I decided to stay quiet. Kiyotaka-kun seemed to be doing the same.
"I'm saying that gigolo over there doesn't care about you."
"I can't let that slide, Ryuuen-kun. You should be careful what you say."
Even with my interruption, Ryuuen-kun continued as if it was nothing.
"Just listen to me. There was no digital camera among the supplies I gave you on the deserted island exam, was there? That means you must have borrowed it with points after the second day. When did you get the digital camera you used then?"
Ryuuen-kun said this, glaring at Kiyotaka-kun while asking the question. I sent a look to Kiyotaka-kun, who was looking at me with a troubled expression, to signal that it was "okay to talk about it."
"I rented the digital camera around noon on the fifth day. Tsugumi, who was about to leave because of the underwear thief incident, told me to 'keep a record as evidence if Ibuki might be a spy and does anything.' Honestly, I was surprised because I had never even suspected her. After all, I thought Class D and Class C were in a cooperative relationship."
"Hmph..."
Ibuki-san, who had been sitting at the table next to us, snorted in displeasure.
"Oh? Well, that makes sense. But with that conversation, I'm now certain of one thing."
"W-What is it?"
This time, Ryuuen-kun gave Kiyotaka-kun a ferocious smile. Still, Kiyotaka-kun's performance as a small-time character was impressive.
"I thought you were just a hanger-on, but it seems my perception was wrong. Now that I think about it, it was unnatural. You always got involved in things like the camera incident at the special building and the special exam. Good for you, Ayanokoji. You seem to be quite trusted."
That was the moment Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was etched into Ryuuen-kun's mind.
He would have ignored him in the past, but the decisive defeat must have sharpened his fangs. ...Now, what should I do?
"Am I being praised? Well, it's not as much as you say... Ouch..."
"Don't get carried away."
"Sorry..."
They exchanged these lines as if they were performing a comedy skit. Even Ryuuen-kun couldn't help but let go of his smile and spoke with an exasperated look.
"Well, it doesn't seem like he's the mastermind, though."
I was pretty nervous that he'd figure it out, but thanks to their great acting, we were able to get through it somehow.
Then, as if to bring the conversation back on track, Ryuuen-kun cleared his throat.
"Kukuku. Whatever happens, it's going to be interesting. But I think it's more likely that the gigolo was moving behind the scenes. After all, you were more pissed off when I mentioned Sakayanagi's name than when you were covered in mud and lying on the ground."
Then, he turned his attention back to Suzune-chan. ...He's really hitting a sensitive spot. His goal is probably to cause a rift between us. It would have been bad if Ayanokoji-kun hadn't confessed.
"...What does that have to do with anything?"
"Hey, hey. Don't get so obviously upset. How much are you in love with him?"
Gasp. Suzune-chan's acting is amazing, and Ryuuen-kun, who teases her without flinching, is also on another level.
"Suzune-chan, um..."
"It's fine, Saito-kun. But as long as Ryuuen-kun is here, we won't gain anything by talking. I'll contact you later."
With that, Suzune-chan walked away quickly. They say all women are actresses, but her acting talent is top-notch.
"You got dumped, huh? Tell Suzune for me. 'It's your turn to be crushed next.'"
"Just because you lost to me, you're going after Suzune-chan next? You're quite small-time, aren't you, Ryuuen-kun?"
"I'll save you for last. When that time comes, you'll be with Sakayanagi. Let's go, Ibuki."
With that, Ryuuen-kun and Ibuki-san left. He's really a troublesome guy to have gotten involved with.
"...I guess we'll break up for now. We can talk later in the chat."
"Okay. I'll contact Suzune-chan."
Ryuuen-kun's goal of "creating a rift between us" failed, but now we have to continue to pretend to be fighting during the next discussion. In the end, it turned out to be to Ryuuen-kun's advantage.
And after a few hours, it's 12:55 PM. There are five minutes left until the exam begins, but there's no harm in arriving early, so I knocked on the door of the room where Yosuke-kun was.
"Hey, Yosuke-kun. I'm here to pick you up."
"Tsugumi-kun. Let's go together then. Are you going to pick up Horikita-san and Kushida-san too?"
The person who opened the door was Yosuke-kun, who seemed to have already prepared to go out. I could also see Kiyotaka-kun in the back of the room.
"Ah... no, I want to go alone. I'll pick up Kushida-san, but I'm having a little trouble with Suzune-chan."
It pains my heart to deceive Yosuke-kun, but to deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies, so it can't be helped.
Yosuke-kun looked worried at my awkward tone.
"Are you okay? You two were so close..."
"Hmm... Well, I think we'll be okay after a while."
He was genuinely worried about us, not the exam that was about to begin. He's such a kind person. Yosuke-kun didn't press the matter any further.
"It looks like we're the last ones."
When we entered the designated room, all eyes in the room turned to us. Being stared at by the leaders of each class was quite a thrill, but there was no point in getting nervous now.
"I've been waiting for you, Tsugumi-kun. The seating is apparently free, so please come over here."
Even though she said it was free, everyone was still sitting together by class around the circular table.
Arisu-chan pointed her cane at the seat to her left. The fact that she made a point to specify where I should sit was a little amusing, but she looked more gleeful than I had ever seen her recently.
"Okay, okay... So, we have five minutes until the exam begins. What should we do until then?"
"We're not here to be friendly, Saito-kun. We'll have plenty of time for discussion later."
I suggested something to ease the awkward silence of five minutes, but Suzune-chan, who was still pretending to be angry, cut me down. Was she putting a little bit of her real feelings into that?
"Kukuku... You're in a bad mood. Was the conversation this morning that unpleasant?"
"It has nothing to do with you, Ryuuen-kun. Don't make assumptions."
"Now, now... We're all going to work together, so let's get along, Horikita-san."
The conversation unfolded with Ryuuen-kun, Suzune-chan, and Kushida-san, in that order.
"...I guess so."
After that, the awkward silence returned to the room. So, the atmosphere is the worst it could be, but what should I do... Ouch?!
A sudden impact hit my right foot. I looked down and saw a silver cane hitting my shin.
"..."
I looked next to me and saw Arisu-chan staring at me with a pointed look. I hated myself for understanding exactly what she was trying to say. She was probably accusing me of "causing trouble again."
No, it's a false accusation! Please give me a break.
"The first group discussion will now begin."
A concise and short announcement. Other than that, it seemed we were free to do whatever we wanted.
"It's no good to stay silent, so why don't we start with self-introductions, as instructed?"
"That's right. If this discussion is being monitored, we might be penalized for violating the instructions."
"Tch, how troublesome."
Arisu-chan agreed with me, and it seemed Ryuuen-kun was also planning to do a self-introduction. Kanzaki-kun and Katsuragi-kun also nodded, so I, as the one who brought it up, proceeded with the self-introductions in order.
After everyone's self-introductions were finished, Arisu-chan addressed everyone.
"Since everyone has introduced themselves, let's decide who will be the facilitator. I don't mind doing it, but the most optimal person, in terms of ability, is Tsugumi-kun."
Me?
"Kukuku... That sounds good to me. I'll nominate him, too."
"I agree with Sakayanagi. Saito is the one who can facilitate this most smoothly."
With Ryuuen-kun and Kanzaki-kun, the leaders of Class C and B, agreeing, the general consensus seemed to be leaning towards me. I feel like Ryuuen-kun is just doing it for fun, but I'm not sure about Kanzaki-kun.
When I looked at Class D, Yosuke-kun and Kushida-san were looking at me with wry smiles... I guess I have no choice but to do it.
"Alright. I'll take on the role of facilitator. Just to be sure, is there anyone who opposes this?"
A quick look around told me that no one was against it. It seems Arisu-chan is serious about this.
────Being a facilitator means I have to use my brain's resources for that purpose. In a battle between equally matched opponents, this difference would significantly impact the outcome. That's especially true for this exam.
If either Arisu-chan or I were the VIP, we would figure out who the other one was within two days just from observing them. That's how long 10 years of being together is.
Arisu-chan's desired outcome is undoubtedly to "guess the VIPs of the other classes," and she's trying to suppress me, who is a threat to her, by making me the facilitator.
"It seems there are no objections. I'll hold a grudge against you, Arisu-chan."
"Oh, that's scary. I'm worried you might get violent."
...Should I actually get violent with her?
"...Well, whatever. First, there's something I want to ask everyone. 'Which outcome do you want to end this exam with?'"
"Shouldn't you go first?"
Ryuuen-kun had a wide grin plastered on his face, as if he was happy that I was forced to be the facilitator.
This guy is so annoying. I was just about to say that.
"You're right. Then let's go clockwise starting from me. ────I want to end this exam by guessing the VIPs of the other classes."
I deliberately paused and said it with a strong emphasis. Everyone's reactions were different.
"You mean... you're aiming for Outcome 3, right?"
"That's right. But this is just my idea, so don't worry, I won't force it on anyone."
I gave a concise answer to Yosuke-kun's question.
"How interesting. I didn't expect you to declare war so suddenly. I thought you guys in D-Class, who are short on money, would want Outcome 1."
"If we can guess all the groups in this exam, we will get 450 class points. In the long run, the total number of points we receive will be much higher. It's definitely an advantage for us, both in terms of class change and points."
I then emphasized the number 450 and explained it to Ryuuen-kun, who was picking a fight with me. Now, I wonder if he'll bite?
"Wait a minute, 450 points? We don't know how many VIPs are in each class, do we?"
"...It's just a guess, but I think the VIPs in this exam are allocated three to each class. It's highly unlikely that a school that values fairness would concentrate the VIPs in a specific class."
It was Katsuragi-kun who answered Kushida-san's question. He said everything I wanted to say.
"That's how it is. If you have no more questions, I'll pass it to the next person, okay?"
After everyone had expressed their opinions, the thoughts of the leaders of each class were as follows:
Outcome 1: Yosuke-kun, Kushida-san
Outcome 2: Katsuragi-kun
Outcome 3: Me, Suzune-chan, Ryuuen-kun, Kanzaki-kun, Arisu-chan
Well, it was pretty much as I expected. Some students were surprised that Arisu-chan, a Class A student, was willing to take a risk and aim for Outcome 3, but given her personality, she would never choose Outcome 2, let alone Outcome 1.
"Are you taking a neutral stance here, too? That's why you can't even manage a key card properly."
"...How do you know that?"
Ryuuen-kun started a fight with Katsuragi-kun. Katsuragi-kun was bad at poker faces, so he furrowed his brow and asked the question in a low voice.
"You can't keep a lid on people's mouths. I hear things from all over the place. I heard that one of your subordinates lost a key card, and that the person who lost it made a ridiculous excuse, saying that 'someone stole it.'"
"Yahiko's story is already settled. You have no right to say anything to me, a member of another class."
Katsuragi-kun's tone was dismissive, but the next words Ryuuen-kun said made his expression stiffen.
"────What if that 'ridiculous excuse' Yahiko made was the truth?"
============
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